Improvement in corn-planters



PATENTOFFIGE.

DANIEL E. TAFT, or NEw BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,340, dated May 27, 1873; application filed January 25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. TAFT, of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful .Improvement in Corn-Planter, of which the following is a specification:

Figure lf is a detail vertical section of my improved corn-planter taken through the line x w, Fig. 2U Fig. 2 is a top View of a part of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the device for opening the furrow, dropping the seed, and covering it. I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. l

The invention consists in the improvement of corn-planters as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

A are the wheels, which revolve upon the journals of the axle B, to which the thills (l are rigidly attached. D is the seed-hopper, which is secured to the rear side of the axle B. To the bottom of the hopper D is pivoted or hinged the forward end of the spout E, which is curved downward and rearward, and in the lower side of the rear end of which is formed the hole through which the seed escapes to the ground. To the spout E, a little in front of the discharge-opening in the spout E, is attached the standard of the plow F, for opening a furrow to receive the seed. The rear side of the standard of the plow F is concaved, to adapt it to serve as a channel to guide the seed to the furrow. Gr are the covering-plows, the standards of which are attached adjustably to the sides of the rear end of the spout E, so that they may be adjusted to cover the seed to a greater or less depth, as may be desired. H are arms, attached to the rear end of the spout E, and which may be a single bar bent into U shape. To the arms H is pivoted the wheel or roller I, by which the soil is pressed down upon the seed. One part of the face of the wheel I is so formed as to niark the hills. J is the droppin g-slide, which moves back and forth in the rear part of the spout E, to drop the seed. The rear part of the slide J, or an arm attached to said slide, is made with an offset or, shoulder, passes back along the side of the wheel I, and is connected with the arm H, So that the said arm may` Serve as a guide to the slide in its movements.

To the side of the wheel I is attached a piu,

K, which, at each revolution of the wheel I,

strikes against the shoulder or offset of the slide J, and moves thesaid slide J forward.

As Soon as the slide J is released from the piu K, it is moved back by the Spring L, one end of which is connected with the rear part of the slide J, and its other end is attached to the rear end of the spout E. To the journal of i the wheel I is attached abevel gear-wheel, M, j into the teeth of which mesh the teeth of the bevel gear-wheel N, attached to the rear end j between the spout E and hopper D, or the pivot of said joint may be made. hollow to receive the Said shaft.

By this arrangement of Shafts and gearwheels or equivalent cranks, the two wheels I will be made to revolve exactly alike, so that the hills will be planted directly opposite each l other, enabling the planting to be done in accurate check-rows. j

S is a circular or wheel cutter, which is placed a little in front of, and as close as couvenient to the path of the opening-plow F, to cut off roots and other obstructions, that might impede the said opening-plow. The

cutter S is placed in and pivoted to the slotted or forked lower end of the standard T, which passes up through and works in keepers attached to the hopper D. To the upper end of the standard T is attached the upper l end of the. spring U, which is coiled around the said standard, and its lower end is at-` tached to the latch-lever V. The rear end of the latch-lever Vis pivoted to some suitable n support at the rear side of the `hopper D, and its forward en d is so formed as to catch upon a catch, W, attached to the axle B, and thus hold the cutter S down to its work in such a g way that, should it strike an obstruction that it cannot cut,-it may rise and pass over it. The draftstrain upon the cutter S is sustained by the bar X and standard Y. The rear end of the har X is slotted or forked, to receive the 'cutter S, and is pivoted to the journals of the said cutter. The forward end of the draftbar Xis pivoted to the lower end of the standard Y, the upper end of which is securely attached to the aXleBf To the rear upper parts of the hoppers D are attached bearings, in which work the journals of the shaft Z, to the end parts of which shaft are attached Wheels or pulleys Af, to which are attached the upper ends of the cords or chains B C. The

other or lower end of the cord or chain B' is attached to the rear part of the spout E, and the other or lower end of the cord or chain C is attached to the lower part of the standard T. To the shaftB is also attached a lever, D', which projects into such a position that it may he conveniently reached and operated by the driver from his seat.

By this arrangement, by releasing the catchlever V from the catch W, and turning the wheels or pulleys A by means of the levers D', the seed-spout E and its attachments, and the cutter S, may be raised from the ground, and the operation of the seed-droppiug device stopped.

E is the drivers seat, which isattached to the axle B, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The machine may be constructed to plant one, two, or more rows at a time, as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, Y I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The hinged spout E and Wheel I, combined with piece J having seed-slide and bow-spring, as and for the purpose described.

DANIEL F. TAFT. 

